Sinn Féin expels two members

Two Sinn Féin members have been thrown out of the party over the Robert McCartney murder, the party's president Gerry Adams has revealed.

Another four who were also in the Belfast bar on the night of the IRA killing have quit after refusing to make statements. The six were among 12 suspended by the party leadership under pressure to act by the dead man's sisters.

One of them, Catherine McCartney, said last night: "Gerry Adams is confusing matters more than clearing them up. He hasn't addressed any of the issues the family wanted him to address, apart from saying he would make public the findings of an internal investigation."

Last night the sisters challenged Mr Adams to declare whether the ousted pair were among the men suspected of direct involvement in the January 30 murder. But even though the family claim the republican movement has been shielding the murderers, Mr Adams insisted the party backed their demands for the murder gang to face trial and was doing its utmost to help.